Radhanath Swami

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Radhanath Swami

Religion	Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Hinduism
Othername(s)	Richard Slavin
Personal
Born	December 7, 1950 (age 62) Chicago, Illinois, United States
Senior posting
Predecessor	A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
Religious career
Initiation	Diksa–1973, Sannyasa–1982
Post	GBC–1994, Initiating guru–1994
Website	http://www.radhanathswami.com,http://www.radhanathswami.us

[edit]Biography

Born as Richard Slavin,^[7] he studied a number of religious paths such as Judaism, Christianity andIslam. At the age of 19 he began traveling through Europe and the Middle-East, aiming for India and eventually settling for over a year in the Himalayas. He was living as a renunciate Sanyaasi in India when he first met with Krishna devotees near Delhi. Through contact with the devotees inVrindavan, and after receiving name Ratim Krishna from Swami Bon Radhanath began to focus exclusively on his spiritual path in Krishna Consciousness. In 1971 Radhanath Swami observed A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada during the ISKCON Cross Maidan festival in Mumbai. After leaving India, Radhanath Swami returned to the United States where he joined the New Vrindaban ISKCON farm community in West Virginia during July 1972. There he accepted initiation from A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in February 1973 receiving the name Radhanath Das, later to receive the name Radhanath Swami.

[edit]Radha Gopinath temple

RadhaGopinath temple in Chowpatty, Mumbai

In later years Radhanath Swami has been instrumental establishing The Radha Gopinath Temple which is renowned for its quality of community. He has been essential for many successful Mumbai projects associated with the Radha Gopinath Temple.^[8] in Chowpatty,^[9] The temple was founded in 1986 and joined ISKCON in 1994 becoming a hub for tens of thousands of devotees. The Bhaktivedanta hospitalis another project emerging from the Radha Gopinath community. It has become a flagship center for holistic health and spiritual care in Mumbai.^[4]

[edit]The Journey Home

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Radhanath Swami wrote his autobiography on the request of his friend and god-brother Bhakti Tirtha Swami who from his deathbed asked him to share his story. The book "The Journey Home: Autobiography of an American Swami"^[10] is the story of how Radhanath Swami grew up in a Jewishfamily in Chicago, Illinois and through his journey of prayer was led through the '60s counter-culturemovement in America into Europe, walking and hitch-hiking all the way through Europe to the Middle East and into India.^[7] Along the way he met many people who would share their wisdom with him, encouraging him on his search for the truth.^[7] He stayed with Yogis in Himalayan caves, in BuddhistMonasteries, Jewish Synagogues, and Christian Churches. He met many teachers and practitioners of spirituality and learned from them.^[7] The book details his adventures along the journey.^[7]

Francis Xavier Clooney in his review of the book notes "Like many a spiritual autobiography, the external events and details turn out to be the setting for the author’s inner quest. His journey is a humbling, learning to be poor, a series of tests that push the author toward living by faith alone. Like any pilgrim, he does not see all of this along the way, but in retrospect sees how he was being quietly, insistently drawn toward God all the time".^[7]

[edit]Celebrities and Radhanath Swami

Many famous and influential people have met Radhanath Swami and expressed their appreciation of his character and work. Among them are Indian President Pratibha Patil [1], United States President Barack Obama [2], Cornel West [3], Gujarat Chief MinisterNarendra Modi,^[11] Anil Agarwal–Executive Chairman of Vedanta Resources, Dalai Lama,Mother Teresa, and Johnny Winter. Madhva sect spiritual leaders like Vishvesha TeerthaSwamiji of Pejavara matha have also met him and appreciated his work.

According to The Times report, after meeting with Radhanath Swami Russell Brand stated “He's a beautiful fellow. He's got the answer. I'm a spiritual gent and increasingly that's the level I want to vibrate on, were it not for my crazed lust for sex and glamour.”^[2] On another occasion The Times reports him saying “I met this swami, and I said, ‘I’m a bit ridden with egotism and ambition, I’m riddled with it, I’m alive with it, I’m crawling with the stuff.’ He said, ‘Don’t worry. It’s a gift from God. Use it in the service of God.’ Except he said Krishna, but I’m anglicising it to make it sound less oooooeeee. . .”^[12] Russell Brand also mentions Radhanath Swami in his memoirs My Booky Wook and Booky Wook 2: This time it's personal.